Heathcare giant GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to an unprecedented $3 billion settlement with the U.S. government over allegations that the company advertised drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and then used lavish gifts to convince doctors to prescribe the drugs.
The multi-billion dollar settlement is the largest in U.S. history for alleged healthcare fraud, government officials said.
In one instance, a drug was widely promoted to help treat depression even though the FDA had never tested it for such a use, according to the Department of Justice. In another, prosecutors said GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK, advertised the drug Paxil for use on children, despite the FDA not having approved antidepressant for anyone under 18. A notice posted on the website for the U.S. National Library of Medicine warned that a small number children to young adults taking Paroxetine -- which is sold under the brand name Paxil -- in clinical studies "became suicidal."
GSK is a major manufacturer of prescription medication, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. On its website, the company boasts, "every minute more than 1,100 prescriptions are written for GSK products."